Heating unit



L. APPLEMAN Feb. 7, 1967 HEAT ING UNIT Filed Aug. 21, 1964 1.: Ill! 41]I I LFIL Lrlu L-IIL Lrl-l I.

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i764 F/GJ United States Patent 3,303,324 HEATING UNIT Leon Appleman, 225E. 57th St., New York, NY. 10021 Filed Aug. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 391,231 8Claims. (Cl. 219-345) This invention relates to a heating unit andrelates more particularly to a heater having a quartz plate element as asource of radiation.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of an improvedheating unit which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable andeflicient in operation and relatively simple and inexpensive tomanufacture, assemble, utilize, and maintain.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a heating unitwherein a quartz plate element has a coiled resistance wire pressedagainst its rear surface by a backing member in relatively tightabutting relationship to thereby increase the effective quantity ofradiant heat produced by the unit.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide a heating unitof the type described wherein the backing plate has a continuous groovemeans defined therein in facing relationship to the quartz plate and thecoiled resistance wire is disposed in the groove means in compressedrelationship.

A still further object of the instant invention is the provision of sucha heating unit wherein the groove means defined in the backing memberhas a lesser depth than the diameter of the coils of the resistance Wireso that when the quartz plate and the backing member are pressedtogether the coil is compressed to tightly fit within the groove means.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a heating unitwherein the backing member 'has a highly reflective element such as analuminum foil sheet or the like in abutting relationship with its rearsurface to further increase the thermal output of the unit.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a heating unit of thetype described wherein all of the elements are maintained in relativelytight abutting relationship by a frame means.

Other and further objects reside in the combination of elements,arrangement of parts and features of construction.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed outas the description of the invention proceeds and as shown in theaccompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a bottom plan view of a heating unit in accordance with theinstant invention, with parts broken away for illustrative clarity, andwith certain hidden parts being shown in dotted lines;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken substantially online 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse cross-sectional view takensubstantially on line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the relationshipbetween the quartz plate element, the backing member and the resistancecoil before the former two elements are pressed together in abuttingrelationship; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary View similar to FIGURE 4 but showingthe relationship of the elements after the quartz plate element and thebacking member have been pressed together.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing in general, the heating unit of the instantinvention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The unitis comprised basically of a quartz plate element 12, a backing member3,303,324 Patented Feb. 7, 1967 "ice 14, a coiled resistance wire 16, ahighly reflective element 18, and a frame means 20.

The quartz plate element 12 is conventional in construction and may beof any desired size or shape depending upon the particular use to whichthe heating unit 10 is to be put.

The backing member 14 is comprised of a highly heat resistant asbestoscompound such as produced by Johns Manville Company and has a continuousgroove means 22 defined therein in facing relationship to the quartzplate element 12.

The coiled resistance wire 16 is formed of any conventional materialsuch as the well known nickelchromium alloy Nichrome and each coil has adiameter substantially equal to or slightly less than the width of thegroove means 22 and larger than the depth of the groove means 22 as willbe best seen in FIGURE 4. Thus, when the quartz plate element 12 and thebacking member 14 are pressed toward each other into abuttingrelationship the coiled resistance wire will be compressed in relativelytight fit within the groove means 22 as shown at 16 in FIGURE 5. It willbe noted that a large portion of each coil, when compressed, is inactual contact with the quartz plate element 12.

The highly reflective element 18 may comprise any conventional materialsuch as a sheet of aluminum foil or the like and is placed on the rearsurface of the backing member 14 in abutting relationship therewith.

The frame means 20 may take any form depending upon the particularutility of the heating unit 10 and as shown in the drawing comprises anouter frame member 24 open at its bottom 26 and including portions 28 towhich are secured by screw means or the like 30 flange members 32affixed to an inner frame member 34 having an inwardly directedperipheral flange 36 to support the quartz plate element 12. Anglemembers 38 are secured in any conventional manner such as by spotwelding or the like interiorly of the inner frame member 34 in such amanner as to maintain the quartz plate element 12, the backing member 14and the highly reflective element 18 in relatively tight abuttingrelationship.

The ends 40 of the resistance wire 16 are conductively connected to asource of electrical power (not shown) in any conventional manner suchas by providing a plug member receivable in an ordinary outlet box forA.C. current.

It is to be understood that the heating unit 10 of the instant inventionmay be used in many different environments. For example, it may beincorporated into a home cooking unit such as a broiler or the like forcooking food or into an industrial heater for baking or drying ofcoatings or finishes applied to various articles. The par. ticulararrangement of parts set forth hereinbefore wherein the coiledresistance wire is compressed within the groove means of thebackingmember and in substantial cont-act with the rear surface of the quartzplate element produces an unexpected increase in output requiring lesstime and electrical power to heat selected articles than heating unitsknown heretofore.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved heatingunit which satisfies all the objectives of the instant invention andothers, including many advantages of great practical utility andcommercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of the instant inventive concept andsince many modification may be made of the embodiments hereinbef-oreshown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is tobe interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A heater unit comprising a quartz plate element, a backing memberhaving two surfaces, one of said surfaces being in abutting relationshipwith said quartz plate element, continuous groove means defined in saidone surface of said backing member in facing relationship to said quartzplate element, a coiled resistance wire having two ends disposed in saidgroove means closely pressed against said quartz plate element, thedepth of said groove means being less than the diameter of the :coils ofsaid resistance wire and of a configuration providing space for limitedtransverse expansion of said coil whereby said coils are compressed bysaid quartz plate element, and a source of electrical power conductivelyconnected to said ends of said resistance wire.

2. A heater unit in accordance with claim 1 wherein the Width of saidgroove means is substantially equal to said diameter of said coils ofsaid resistance wire.

3. A heater unit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said backing memberis comprised of a highly heat resistant asbestos compound.

4. A heater unit in accordance with claim 1 wherein said resistance wireis comprised of a nickel-chromium alloy.

5. A heater unit in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a highlyreflective element in abutting relationship with the other of saidsurfaces of said backing member. 7

6. A heater unit in accordance with claim 5 wherein said highlyreflective element comprises an aluminum foil sheet.

7. A heater unit in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a framemeans maintaining said quartz plate element and said backing member inrelatively tight abutting relationship.

8. A heater unit in accordance with claim 5 further comprising a framemeans maintaining said quartz plate element, said backing member andsaid highly reflective element in relatively tight abuttingrelationship.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,481,554 9/1949Winstead 338252 X 3,059,087 10/1962 Perlman 219405 X 3,155,814 11/1964Appleman et al. 219345 X FOREIGN PATENTS 266,199 2/ 1927 Great Britain.

RICHARD M. WOOD, Primary Examiner.

C. L. ALBRITTON, Assistant Examiner.

1. A HEATER UNIT COMPRISING A QUARTZ PLATE ELEMENT, A BACKING MEMBERHAVING TWO SURFACES, ONE OF SAID SURFACES BEING IN ABUTTING RELATIONSHIPWITH SAID QUARTZ PLATE ELEMENT, CONTINUOUS GROOVE MEANS DEFINED IN SAIDONE SURFACE OF SAID BACKING MEMBER IN FACING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID QUARTZPLATE ELEMENT, A COILED RESISTANCE WIRE HAVING TWO ENDS DISPOSED IN SAIDGROOVE MEANS CLOSELY PRESSED AGAINST SAID QUARTZ PLATE ELEMENT, THEDEPTH OF SAID GROOVE